


i wonder what it's like to be loved by you

by bartallen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Minor Angst, Self Confidence Issues, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, first words your soulmate says is ur tattoo, hyuck says the f-word like once, mentions of smoking, minor johnmark and yujae, other characters appear shortly, uhh slight anxiety, yuta is mean for a second but he's a good guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bartallen/pseuds/bartallen
Summary: When Donghyuck's soulmate tattoo is in Japanese, he does the only reasonable thing:He prepares for a life in Japan.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery
Comments: 36
Kudos: 255
Collections: Challenge #3 — soulmates





	i wonder what it's like to be loved by you

**Author's Note:**

> title is from wonder by shawn mendes

Donghyuck wouldn’t say he’s _obsessed_ with soulmates, per say, just very fond of the concept of them. He sees the way his father looks at his mother: eyes shining and smile so fond you’d think he just watched his fiancé walk down the aisle; the way his brother seemed to find his other half so effortlessly even after being so against the idea of soulmates at all. Donghyuck loves being loved, being appreciated and cared for; he wants to belong to someone, wants to be cherished and most importantly he wants to give all of it back. 

So maybe he’s kinda obsessed with soulmates, after all.

His 18th birthday is a big deal for him, which is why his parents offered to throw a big party for him: lots of food and the approval to have more people over than their living room can fit, all for his “big day”, as he got used to calling it. Not only did he not have that many friends to invite to his party, but it felt too special anyway. So he politely declined, promised to eat some cake with his parents the next day, and chose to celebrate the night of his birthday with only Mark and Renjun. They’re huddled together in his room, munching on some cake and patiently waiting for the clock to strike 12.

When it finally happens, Donghyuck is already seated on the floor, in front of his full body mirror, wearing only shorts and an oversized shirt. Renjun and Mark (who came all the way from college to spend his birthday with him, bless him) are lounging on his bed, giving him some sort of privacy, but throwing him curious glances every two seconds.

His alarm rings twice, signalling the beginning of his 18th birthday. He can feel his cheeks heating up from excitement already, his heartbeat fastening by each second.

“Here we go,” He announces, sitting up on his knees.

He starts by checking his arms first: turning them carefully, inspecting each spot of tan skin and even pulling up his shirt sleeves to see if there are any words hidden on his upper arms or shoulders. When he comes up empty, he scans his legs, one by one, before lifting his shorts to check his thighs. Nothing.  


He huffs, but isn’t hopeless yet. 

“And?” Renjun asks from behind him, right before Donghyuck hears Mark shushing him.

“Nothing yet,” Donghyuck answers tightly, gripping the hem of his shirt to lift it above his head. 

Someone whistles behind him, and he hears another thud.

Ignoring his friends, he crawls closer towards the mirror. Just as he wants to check his back, he sees it. Right above his collarbone is a writing in pale black ink. 

He pauses, and unintentionally holds his breath. This is it: the moment he’s been waiting for ever since he was a little kid. The marking that will lead him to his future, his very own happy ending that he knows he deserves. He leans closer, lip curling into an anticipating smile; ready to read the words his soulmate will utter to him one day.

Silence.

Renjun, ever the impatient boy that he is, breaks it.

“And? What does it say?” 

Donghyuck leans even closer, squints into the mirror, tilting his head to the side to get a better look and eventually sits back on his knees. He turns to his best friends and sends them a helpless look.

“I don’t know.”

  


٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

  


“I think it’s Japanese,” Mark concludes after staring at his collarbone for a few seconds. 

“Yeah,” Renjun adds, unhelpfully, doing a pretty terrible job of trying to hide his amusement from him. “Tough luck, Hyuck.”

“Fuck off,” Donghyuck says to Renjun, before turning to Mark again. “What does it mean?”

Mark gives him a shrug while Renjun just cackles.“None of us speak Japanese, how would we know?”

“ _Renjun_ ,” Mark sighs, halfheartedly.

 _Japanese_ , Donghyuck thinks. His thoughts are going crazy at this point. _Who speaks Japanese?_

_Aha!_

Donghyuck throws his phone at Mark. “Take a photo of it.”

Mark does as he’s told and Donghyuck quickly sends the picture to his classmate.

Today, 00:04am

(00:04) [image attachment]  
(00:04) what does this say  
(00:05) pls be awakeeee  
(00:05) shotaro  
(00:05) shoTARO pls pls pls  
(00:05) shotarooooooooo

_(00:05) omg is that ur soulmate tattoo!!  
(00:05) happy birthday :))))))))))_

(00:05) thanks but FOCUS  
(00:05) what does it sayyyyy

_(00:05) omg sorry haha :)  
(00:05) it says  
(00:05) “how do you like japan so far?”_

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck says, staring at his phone.

Mark and Renjun almost knock their heads together while trying to read the messages Shotaro just sent him, and when they do, they stare at him in wonder. Renjun is still grinning at him.

“Do you know what this means?” Donghyuck asks calmly.

“That you won’t be able to talk to your soulmate? Like, at all?”

Mark shushes Renjun yet again, shoving him to the floor. “What?”

Donghyuck nods solemnly, having made up his mind.

“I’m gonna have to move to Japan.”

  


(´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

  


Donghyuck doesn’t move to Japan, obviously. At least not immediately. He finishes high school with his friends, excellent grades and a whole lot of ambition to do well in life that quickly fades away once he settles out of academic life. 

Renjun moves to Busan for college a few weeks after graduation, leaving Donghyuck alone with nothing but a high school diploma, cherished memories and a soulmate tattoo in a language he doesn’t speak. 

With the few friends he had in high school falling out of touch so easily, he feels more lonely than ever. His brother no longer lives at home, Mark and Renjun are hours away, and the thought of having a soulmate is no longer as comforting as it once had been.  
How stupid of him to assume things would be so easy. Just because the people in his life had met their match so early in life doesn’t mean he would as well. As he’s lying on his bed he wonders how long he’ll have to wait.

  


(｡•́︿•̀｡)

Donghyuck enrolls at the same university Mark attends, because his parents had been adamantly opposed to the idea of him studying in Japan all by himself.

(“Honey, you don’t even speak any Japanese yet.” “So you want me to end up alone and miserable in life, is that it?”

“You’re overreacting.”

“My own parents want my demise, great.”)

So they had made a compromise:

Donghyuck studies at least one year in Korea, and then, when he’s ready, he can study abroad in Japan. 

They shake on it.

  


(♡μ_μ)

College is nicer than expected. Classes are fun, his roommate is kind enough, and having Mark around is actually a huge relief; meaning he’s less anxious about making friends in an unfamiliar environment. Mark’s friends are friendly, surprisingly less nerdy than his dorky childhood friend, and make him feel welcome immediately.

He goes to classes, hands in assignments, sometimes eats dinner with his roommate, and gets used to his Adult College Life™. It feels like just yesterday he was worrying about high school graduation, and in the blink of an eye he’s already preparing for his college midterms. All this time he saw his time at this college as some kind of transition period until he left for Japan, but sometimes at night when he comes home from a fun night out he finds himself enjoying it all more than he thought he would.

Currently they’re sitting in one of the library group study rooms, with Mark, Yuta and Jaehyun studying for their midterms, while Donghyuck is browsing through exchange programs on his laptop. Even though his parents encouraged him to focus on his freshman year first, he still can’t help but think of his soulmate. At this point, he doesn’t think he can stop even if he wanted to. 

He’s been doing basic Japanese classes on Youtube and finished some Duolingo courses on his phone, but he’s still lacking so much. Not only language wise, but also culture wise. So he researches. A lot.

One of the best parts of getting to know Mark’s friends is Yuta.

“Is it true that there are barely any trash cans in Japan?” Donghyuck whispers. “It says here that you should carry a plastic bag with you at all times.”

Yuta doesn’t look up from his laptop, and simply hums. “Sure, Hyuck.” 

“Is smoking really forbidden on the streets? Will I get a fine if I do?”

Jaehyun snorts from next to his soulmate. “You don’t even smoke.”

“Yeah, but what if I _start_ smoking?”

“Then don’t?”

Donghyuck huffs, and keeps scrolling.

“Do Japanese people really avoid saying ‚no‘?”

Jaehyun cackles. “That’s certainly not true.”

Yuta sighs, but continues typing on his laptop.

“Hyung,” Donghyuck starts. “Have you ever been to Shinjuke?”

“Donghyuck,” Yuta snaps, finally looking away from his laptop. “I need you to shut up for an hour, okay?”

Donghyuck falters in his movements, throat closing up. He feels more embarrassed than anything, cheeks already heating up from shame. He hasn’t even realized how annoying he must have been. He doesn’t know how pathetic he looks right now, but Yuta’s features soften immediately. 

“I’m sorry,” He says in a much gentler tone. “I just need to finish this in an hour.”

“Sorry,” He mumbles, awkwardly looking at his laptop screen. 

“We can talk once I finish, alright?”

Donghyuck nods, and Yuta goes back to his laptop. He can feel Mark’s eyes on him from across him, but he’s purposefully ignoring him as well. 

He sighs quietly, feeling out of place all of a sudden. The tab with his filled out application for their partner university in Tokyo is still open, but unsent. He doesn’t know why he hesitates in sending it, to be honest. He wants to move, wants to finally meet his soulmate. Maybe it’ll be good for him. And it’s his fate, isn’t it? If it’s meant to be, it can’t be bad.

Just as he’s considering leaving the library to go back to his room, an unfamiliar voice interrupts the silence that had settled over their table.

“Hi, I’m writing a book on the finer things of life and I was wondering if I could interview you?”

All heads snap up immediately, looking at the owner of the voice, who has eyes for Mark Lee only, just like Donghyuck knew he would.

Because he’s read that exact line on Mark’s wrist probably a hundred times by now. 

Mark is gaping at the tall, handsome stranger like a fish, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally answering. 

“Dude,” He says in fascination and Donghyuck mentally facepalms, already feeling sorry for the guy who will have the word ‚dude‘ on his body all his life. “I can’t believe you actually said that.”

It’s the first time Donghyuck witnesses two soulmates meeting each other for the first time. Watching the guy react to Mark’s eloquent answer is everything he hoped it would be. His eyes turn wide and he mirrors Mark’s own expression. The two of them stare at each other for a solid ten seconds in utter silence, before Mark eventually breaks it by bursting into the most adorable _giggles_. The guy seems to melt at hearing that. 

It’s magical and Donghyuck _longs_.

He hits send on the application.

  


  


(づ◡﹏◡)づ

Mark and Johnny, his soulmate, start dating a few days after they meet and suddenly it’s as if Johnny has always been there. When Spring Break comes around, Mark announces he won’t be going back home but rather stay here and spend time with Johnny. Without Mark, Donghyuck doesn’t really feel like going back either. He misses his parents, sure, but he can always visit them later. His brother won’t be there anyway, and the only thing he’ll be doing home apart from eating his mother’s cooking is laying in his room all day, since none of his friends are returning home either.

He stays, and so he can start preparing for his exchange semester (assuming he gets accepted, of course), he signs up for a Japanese course. Since he already knows some basic Japanese, the course is more targeted for tourists and people who are planning to move. The first class is next week.

He’s excited, sure, but mostly he’s nervous. It’s all he’s been thinking about for the past year, and now that things are actually starting to take shape, he wonders if this is all a good idea or not. He wants to meet his soulmate, sure, but who’s to say he will even meet them during the semester? What if he doesn’t meet them for another 2 years? Or 10? There are soulmates who only meet each other after they’ve turned 40, and Donghyuck doesn’t think he can wait that long. 

“How is your Japanese going? Mom and Dad said you have a course coming up?”

He sighs, already uncomfortable with the way the conversation is going. His brother has always been able to see right through him, anyway. There’s no need to lie.

“I guess I’m a bit nervous,” He admits.

Doyoung hums, as if expecting that. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” He mumbles. “I guess it started to feel real, or something.”

Doyoung pauses for a moment, as if considering something.

“You’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” He eventually says. “Ever since you were young, all you would really talk about was your soulmate.”

Donghyuck frowns, not really sure where his brother is going with this. He knows all of this already. 

“Hyuck,” Doyoung speaks carefully, as if talking to a frightened child. “You know people will stay in your life even if they aren’t your soulmate, right?”

Donghyuck hand tightens around his phone, and he swallows. 

“I know that.”

“Do you?”

Logically, he does. Nobody has ever made him feel otherwise: his friends, even if little in number, have been supportive and loyal, and his family has been nothing but caring and loving. He _knows_ he does not depend on his soulmate to actually have someone in his life that stands by him no matter what, but…

But sometimes his insecurities do get the better of him, and he doesn’t know how to stop it from happening. 

He realises he’s been quiet for too long, because Doyoung speaks again.

“We’ll all be by your side, no matter what you choose,” He assures him gently. “You’ll always have me, and Mom, and Dad. And I know you have Mark, and Renjun, and all your other friends.” 

His chest tightens, and he blinks away unshed tears.

“Okay.”

  


  


･ﾟ･(｡>ω<｡)･ﾟ･

Moving to a different country and being one step closer to finally meeting his soulmate had seemed plausible for whatever reason, but now that he’s sitting inside the stuffed seminar room, listening to the tutor speaking rapid Japanese? He’s not sure.

The whole thing seems childish and immature. He doesn’t even really speak Japanese that well. All the tutoring he had forced Yuta to give him before seems like nothing compared to this. The teacher says something else and a few people chuckle, including the guy sitting next to him. Donghyuck gave up pretending to understand anything like 20 minutes ago, anxiously doodling on his notebook instead.

Living in a foreign country, all alone? He’s only recently learned how to do laundry by himself. How will he manage to survive there? What was he thinking? How will he manage to meet his soulmate if he can’t even get out of airport security by himself?

“We’re starting our roleplay now,” The tutor switches back to English to give instructions and Donghyuck sits up a bit, sighing. “Please work with your neighbour and use the phrases from the exercise sheet.”

Donghyuck hasn’t even bothered to look at the sheet yet, clearly not expecting to have to participate in the first class already. He hastily looks for the sheet on his desk. His neighbour, thankfully one of the people in this class who is his own age, gives him a bright smile and Donghyuck nods to indicate he’s ready. 

_“How do you like Japan so far?”_

His accent is terrible, and he’s struggling with the pronunciation of the words, but the phrase is undoubtedly Japanese. A sentence Donghyuck has uttered to himself a thousand times before, just to know how it would sound like. In his imagination it had always been spoken in a native accent, somewhere in Japan while he himself was settling down in the foreign country. Never would he have imagined _this_. 

A dark-haired stranger in a pink hoodie, with sparkling eyes and a smile so bright it almost hurt to look at.

A million things are running through his mind, but the most prominent feeling that’s cruising through his body is relief. His skin is tingling, his palms are sweaty and he’s nervous as hell, but he’s so happy he could cry. He feels a million times lighter than before, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. 

He says the first thing that comes to his mind.

“I almost moved to Japan for you.”

The guy’s eyes widen comically, and he lets out a breathy, disbelieving laugh. His smile never fades. He excitedly slaps Donghyuck’s arm a few times. “Holy shit!”

“Holy shit,” Donghyuck repeats, hands shaking slightly. He still can’t believe it. All this time, his soulmate had been here. At his school. Did they ever pass each other on campus, unknowing they were so close to each other?

“I’m Hendery,” His soulmate says.

 _His soulmate._

Donghyuck can’t stop smiling.

“Donghyuck,” He introduces himself. “You can call me Hyuck, though.”

“Hyuck,” Hendery says, as if testing the name out. “Okay, Hyuck.” 

Donghyuck nods, not daring to look away from him.

Hendery smiles yet again. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Hyuck.”

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/dearnoya) / [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/dearestdream)


End file.
